04-11-2007, 11:00 PM
What's it worth to you to open your PS3 for business?
We can probably all agree that curing ailments like cancer or Alzheimer's is a laudable goal, and, as such, it's pretty easy to imagine lots of PS3 owners signing on to the Folding@Home distributed disease research initiative, currently open for business on the PS3.
But, what if the ultimate goal of the distributed network became something a bit less...altruistic? Say, something along the lines of lining Sony's pocketbook with cash? What kind of carrot would the company have to dangle before you as a gamer for the right to squeeze some extra cash out of your PS3's idle cell processor?
Might as well start pondering these questions, 'cause Kotaku (via Forbes) is reporting today that Sony has started investigating ways to turn that distributed PS3 computing gamerNet of theirs into some cold hard shareholder cash.
Apparently, Sony is currently "in discussions" with various companies around the world to figure out if there's a business model hiding somewhere in the (so far) nonprofit framework epitomized by Stanford's Folding@Home.
"This kind of computing model could be used in a commercial application" said Masa Chatani -- SCE's chief technology offer. "[F]or example, a start-up or a pharmaceutical company that lacks a super-computer could utilise this kind of infrastructure. We are discussing various options with companies and exploring commercial applications".
While he didn't name any of these interested companies specifically, he did say corporate-sector enthusiasm for Sony's distributed network has been "high" following the success of Folding@Home.
Chatani did admit that Sony might have a tough sell in convincing PS3 owners to let Sony pimp their bandwidth for cash. One scenario, said Chatani, would be for the partner companies to offer incentives like free products or points in exchange for participation in the distributed network. What's it worth to you to let Sony do a little behind-the-scenes goldfarming on your rig while you're out and about? Would a free copy of FLOW and maybe some download points at the HOME shopping channel be enough to let Big Pharma run its greasy little fingers through your PS3's hair unsupervised?
Obviously, more details will be forthcoming on this one after Sony gets its business model together. Just don't click that T-Virus project, no matter how many points they offer you.
Remember, kids: The game is to be sold, not to be told.
SOURCE
*I think people who aren't using their PS3 during the early morning hours or such wouldn't mind another company using the PS3 power, especially if they could get stuff for doing it. I know I would. If I ain't using it, someone else should be, especially when I get something in return. Who cares what I think though. What do ya'll think about it?
We can probably all agree that curing ailments like cancer or Alzheimer's is a laudable goal, and, as such, it's pretty easy to imagine lots of PS3 owners signing on to the Folding@Home distributed disease research initiative, currently open for business on the PS3.
But, what if the ultimate goal of the distributed network became something a bit less...altruistic? Say, something along the lines of lining Sony's pocketbook with cash? What kind of carrot would the company have to dangle before you as a gamer for the right to squeeze some extra cash out of your PS3's idle cell processor?
Might as well start pondering these questions, 'cause Kotaku (via Forbes) is reporting today that Sony has started investigating ways to turn that distributed PS3 computing gamerNet of theirs into some cold hard shareholder cash.
Apparently, Sony is currently "in discussions" with various companies around the world to figure out if there's a business model hiding somewhere in the (so far) nonprofit framework epitomized by Stanford's Folding@Home.
"This kind of computing model could be used in a commercial application" said Masa Chatani -- SCE's chief technology offer. "[F]or example, a start-up or a pharmaceutical company that lacks a super-computer could utilise this kind of infrastructure. We are discussing various options with companies and exploring commercial applications".
While he didn't name any of these interested companies specifically, he did say corporate-sector enthusiasm for Sony's distributed network has been "high" following the success of Folding@Home.
Chatani did admit that Sony might have a tough sell in convincing PS3 owners to let Sony pimp their bandwidth for cash. One scenario, said Chatani, would be for the partner companies to offer incentives like free products or points in exchange for participation in the distributed network. What's it worth to you to let Sony do a little behind-the-scenes goldfarming on your rig while you're out and about? Would a free copy of FLOW and maybe some download points at the HOME shopping channel be enough to let Big Pharma run its greasy little fingers through your PS3's hair unsupervised?
Obviously, more details will be forthcoming on this one after Sony gets its business model together. Just don't click that T-Virus project, no matter how many points they offer you.
Remember, kids: The game is to be sold, not to be told.
SOURCE
*I think people who aren't using their PS3 during the early morning hours or such wouldn't mind another company using the PS3 power, especially if they could get stuff for doing it. I know I would. If I ain't using it, someone else should be, especially when I get something in return. Who cares what I think though. What do ya'll think about it?